Samurai Uzumaki
by Dokugin
Summary: Exiled near birth, he was left to die in the world alone for what he had. No one ever thought a blonde haired samurai would save him. As Naruto ages, he grows to know the path he walks. [Samurai 7 crossover]
1. Normal Excuse for my Stories

**Here's a new story, everyone. **

**It's a Naruto/Samurai 7 crossover. I'm currently writing more chapters for it, and probably won't post number 2 until I finish another of my stories. This is just something like a teaser, to get some people interested in this. I'll probably write the rest of it later, in a couple months when I finish a story, or very soon. Also, just a warning to you, the title might change. **

**Summary: At the Kyuubi's sealing, the Third Hokage showed everyone the boy the Nin-Tailed Fox was sealed into. A week later, he was left in the wilderness to starve and die, by the village's decision. A traveler soon passes by, and hears the cries of Naruto. The man with blonde hair takes Naruto in, and raises him as something of an apprentice. As he grows older, Naruto learns that some days and some nights, that some live and some die. As a samurai, that is his only purpose, his only goal. To learn how to follow orders. **

**If the last part seems familiar, just know that I got that from the song Battlecry. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Samurai 7, or anything you may recognize here. **

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Chapter 1: The Normal Excuse for Prologues

The Kyuubi approached the gates of Konoha, its massive tails flowing behind it, slamming into the ground to cause shockwaves.

The shinobi at its feet fell by the hundreds, dying beneath the Nine-tailed fox's power. Screams of pain sounded in the air, as the shinobi gave their dying breaths to save their village. Cries of sadness washed over them, as they saw friends, comrades, and lovers lose their lives to the beast.

Still, the shinobi pressed on. This was their duty. This was what they had been trained to do. To follow orders.

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He looked out to the battlefield from the roof of the hospital, holding the empty blanket in his arms. He nearly winced, as he heard the cries and shouts of his people. People he had sent to their deaths, just to stall for time. It seems their sacrifices would be pointless, as they were being slaughtered, not at all deterring the fox.

The door burst open behind him, slamming into the wall as he heard footsteps come up behind him.

"Gaki," His former sensei panted, as the Yondaime Hokage turned to face him. He held out the blanket, and turned his head away.

He didn't want to do this. There were hundreds of other babies born today, so why did it have to be his son.

He felt the weight go in his arms, as he wrapped the blanket up, to protect his son from the cold.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jiraiya asked, after regaining his breath. He tried to plead with his student, hoping he would change his mind, "Isn't there any other way?"

The Yondaime Hokage sighed, as he stared at the boy in his arms. He was small, and would probably be small until he was older. Even though he had been born hours ago, he had a small mop of blonde hair sitting atop his head. His eyes were closed, sleeping and oblivious to the rest of the world. Before hand, he had drawn the seal onto his navel, the seal that would ensure his village's safety, and his son's doom.

"I don't want to do this." He told Jiraiya truthfully. "I really don't. But if I don't, no one else will."

He started walking forward, to the side of the hospital roof and prepared to summon Gamabunta, before Jiraiya's hand laid upon his shoulder. "Then let me do it," He told him, "Let me give my life, so this boy has one."

The Yondaime's eyes widened, as he looked to the white haired man. "Let me do it, gaki. I don't want that boy to suffer."

The Yondaime shook his head quickly, "No. You can't go through with the sacrifice."

"Why not!" Jiraiya cried, desperate to change his student's mind. "You can't do this!"

"You're… just too old." The Yondaime gave him a smile, before jumping off the hospital roof, and summoning Gamabunta in the air. He landed on his head, telling the frog boss to go to the battlefield, where they would fight together one last time.

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He walked like a zombie through the wasteland of bodies, as he shuffled or stepped over them, intent on reaching his goal.

At last he got there, and kneeled down. His former student lay there, dead. He had a smile on his face, and his eyes were closed. In his arms, there lay a small child.

He picked him up, as a crowd of people rushed over, to see what had befallen their Yondaime.

He mindlessly picked up the bundle, not caring as people crowded around him.

He held it up to his face, and stared.

The boy was looking around curiously, his slanted and slitted eyes staring and taking in all the dead bodies and people around him. His hair was highlighted with red, and looked a little rougher. Across each of his cheeks, were three black whisker marks. On his stomach, the seal was there, though a small part of it seemed like it had been smudged, or at least wiped off.

He held it high above his head, to show the rest of the shinobi present.

"This, is the Yondaime's son!" He proclaimed to them, looks of skepticism and anger written on their faces. "Your Hokage died to protect us, and sacrificed his only son to seal the Nine-Tailed fox inside! He would have expected this boy to be a hero, as he was! So, my fellow shinobi, let this treat this boy as a hero, and the last living legacy of our Yondaime Hokage!"

He had expected cheers to follow his proclamation, instead he got hell.

Shouts and screams of anger resounded across the battlefield, from every person there.

"That's not the Yondaime's son!"

"Yeah! That boy's the Kyuubi!"

"Demon! Beast! Monster!"

Those were the things they yelled. They demanded it's death, as it cried from the magnitude of their voices, acting as one.

A red wave pulsed over them, stemming from the boy as he cried. This only caused the crowd to respond even more angrily, and to demand the death of the "Demon" as soon as possible.

Jiraiya lowered the boy, cradling him in his arms. He looked at the Yondaime's body, and wondered why the hell he would sacrifice his life and son for this ungrateful village.

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"You can't kill him!" Jiraiya shouted, as he slammed his fist into the table, splintering it. "He's the Yondaime's son!"

"That boy," spat out Higura Hitomoe, one of the richest merchants in the city, one of council elected by the villager's, "Is a demon! He is not even human!"

Jiraiya held up the boy, as some of the council members back away, "Does this like a demon to you, you idiot!" He shoved the boy in Higura's face, as she backed away, disgusted by the mere thought of even being close to the boy. "Does it?"

The Sandaime sighed, as he watched Jiraiya shoving Naruto into the woman's face.

It was a week after the Kyuubi had attacked. They had discovered the boy Jiraiya held in his hands was definitely the Yondaime's son, as seen in the deceased Hokage's will. He had left everything he owned to the boy, including his special kunai set, and the secret of the Hiraishin no Jutsu, the Yondaime's personal technique, which he had used countless times to save lives.

Jiraiya had taken the boy immediately to him, and had asked what to do. The ninja were angry at the boy, thinking him to be the demon fox, and somehow, word had gotten to the villager's that the boy was really the Kyuubi reborn. They rioted in the streets, demanding the boy be sentenced to death.

"Jiraiya-san," called Danzo warily from his seat. He had been there the whole time, thinking of the situation from all points of view. Of course this boy wasn't the Demon Fox in disguise. If it was, it would have already killed them. "That's enough."

Jiraiya mumbled a few choice words to Higura, before returning to his seat and sitting down.

""Jiraiya-san." Hyuga Hiashi said, from the end of the table. "We have no choice. the boy has to die."

"No!" He screamed out loud, "You're not going to kill him!"

"Jiraiya, that's enough!" The Sandaimae screamed at him, shocking everyone. Already, a plan was forming in the man's mind. "He may not be the demon, and he may be the Yondaime's son, but you must think! The villagers do not like him, and will want him dead! Imagine if he grew up like that, under the hate and scorn of a village! He could very well harness the power of the Kyuubi, and turn on us!"

The Council members stood agape, looking at the Third Hokage in surprise. Just minutes before he had been naming all the reasons why they should keep him alive.

Jiraiya sat there speechless, as he looked at his sensei, who had a slight twinkle in his eye. He knew his sensei well, and he knew when he was planning something. Still, whatever his plan was, it had better be good.

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He brought him out, in the cover of the night, out of Fire Country, near the Earth Country border.

The Council had ordered his death, though they did not want to risk killing him there, for fear of awakening the Nine-Tailed Fox. Instead, using their devious minds, they planned for him to be left at the border for Iwa, just in case they were still sore after losing the war.

After the meeting, Jiraiya had taken him aside, and asked him his plan.

He told him that after a day, he would follow him to Iwa, where he would leave the boy. Then Jiraiya would take him, and train him to do whatever he wanted. To give him a life.

Behind the backs of the Council, he had also taken the set of special kunai the Yondaime had left for him, as a present. The boy's name was still attached to the box, because he was in a hurry to leave.

He reached the border, and set him there, behind a rock. Soon, he started crying, and the Sandaime patted him once on the head, before leaving the boy alone.

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He walked steadily and quietly along the mountain path, wandering.

The war had ended, many months ago, yet he had not found peace. He had wandered, hoping to find whatever it was he was searching for.

A cry distracted him from his musings, as he looked over, hands going to the blades on his back.

He drew them quickly and silently, years of drawing them making him able to avoid rubbing them along his sheath. He pressed himself against the wall, his mind calmly thinking of his situation.

'A cry, sounding like a baby. What would a baby be doing here? It smells like a trap.' He thought, as he moved closer to where the wails were coming from.

He jumped out, rushing to the sound of the voice, his battle driven instincts already making him move. He slashed down with the sword in his right hand, feeling as it carved its way through flesh, though not much.

He had killed many things in his life, and knew how it should feel when a sword was driven through someone's head. This cut only seemed to be a surface wound. He opened his eyes, and stared down in shock, flicking his sword to take the blood off it, then sheathing them both with a soft clink.

The baby was still alive, and was no longer crying. It seemed that by instinct, it had leaned back, and his blade had only slashed across the left side of his face, going down his eye and to his cheekbone. Still, that was impressive. He prided himself not on his strength, but on his skill and speed. For this baby to have instinctively dodged his blade…

He kneeled down, and examined the boy. He had a mop of blonde hair on his head, much like his own. He even had red colored highlights, much like his clothing, which was a crimson red coat, going down to his feet. From where he had slashed him, he was bleeding. It flowed down his face, dripping down his chin and onto his chest. Right at his naval, was a complex tattoo like thing, forming something of a spiral. His eyes traveled upwards, back to the boys face. On each side of the boys cheeks, there were six noticeable marks, three going across one side, three going across the other. He looked into the boys eyes, and found them blue and slitted, much like a fox's.

He looked around him, looking to see if anyone was near, to claim this child.

No one.

He looked back down at the boy, who was looking at him with curiosity. He didn't see it before, but a box was right beside the boy, with a tag on it.

He leaned over, grabbing hold of the tag. He read it once, and then looked over to the boy.

'He would make a fine apprentice.' He said in his mind, looking over at him once. It was true. The boy seemed to have natural skills, as if he had inherited him.

Making up his mind, he lifted him, taking the box with him, and holding the boy in his arms.

"Uzumaki Naruto…" Kyuzo said, looking down at the boy. It seemed hearing his name had caused the boy to smile, as if understanding its meaning.

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**Well, there's chapter 1. **

**I'll probably post Shadow in the Leaves also, or I might not. Who knows?**

**This story will follow some of the Samurai 7 plot, but I won't say anything more. Sorry if the chapter was also a little weird, or seemed unrealistic in places. I'll probably go back and rewrite it. I just wrote this one chapter, to see if people were interested. **

**On a better note, Chapter 6 for Zero Pressure is going well for me, so expect it up a few days from now.** **I'm also working on the next chapters for the following stories: Hunter in the Night, Force of an Echo, and Shadow in the Leaves. The last story will be the same situation as this one, with me posting it just to see if people are interested. **

**Anyway, tell me if you see any inconsistencies, problems, have any questions, have suggestions, or if you just want to say something, **

**Dokugin**

**Word Count: 2,464 **

**Page Count: 6**

**Time: 2 hours**


	2. Sweet Dreams

**By demand, here's chapter 2. The parts with Naruto and his tails, just imagine it to be something like Doctor Octopus from Spiderman 2. **

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Chapter 2: Sweet Dreams

"Left!" Shouted Kyuzo, as Naruto swung his bokken to the left, hitting the wooden training post.

"Down Right!" Naruto swung down, hitting the training post right where his master had instructed him to hit.

Kyuzo continued shouting more places for attacks to Naruto, as he followed them without fail.

"You are not a samurai yet. Right!" Kyuzo told him, watching as he continued bashing at the post. "Before you obtain a katana, you must learn how to use a stick. Up Middle!" Kyuzo used his sheath to correct Naruto's stance. "You must learn how to stand, before you may walk. Right! Left! Left!" Naruto swung his bokken, hitting all the designated points, with near precise accuracy. "You must master how to walk, before you may run. Straighten your stance, it may be loose, but you make it too loose. Right! Left! Down! Up! Right! Left! Left!" Naruto swung the wooden bokken, hitting the right, before reversing the blade and hitting the left. He held the blade above his head, swinging it down, then switching his hands and swinging the blade up. At the top of its ascent, he brought it to his side, and hit the right of the post, doing the same as he had down before. He readied his strike, before he felt Kyuzo's sheath on his leg, stopping him.

"You are only swinging. You are not letting the momentum you gained from the blade continue on. You stop it, as soon as you hit the post. You must let it carry on." He motioned to the post, "Adjust your steps and stances, and watch your posture. Do not let it weaken or wane if you do not want it to."

Naruto nodded after a little, and continued hitting the post, following his master's words of advice. His feet turned with his body, and he tried to keep his posture perfect.

"Now, continue hitting the post, Naruto-teishi. (Apprentice Naruto)" Kyuzo ordered him, as he watched the four year old boy continue hitting the post.

"Hai, Kyuzo-shishou. (Master Kyuzo)" He spoke, correcting his stance as he spoke, making sure it was as his master wanted.

He struck the post, hitting it with a right sided slash, going downwards. He followed it up by pivoting on his right foot, using it to turn himself. he used the momentum he had gained from the spin, to slam the wooden training bokken into the side of the post. It vibrated in his hands, but he kept his grip strong, slashing at the post more and more.

As he grunted from the exertion, his master Kyuzo watched, as the boy continued hitting the post. Only a year ago had the four year old learned to walk, and two years before learned to talk. Already, he knew so much, and understood so many things.

The boy grunted, wiping the sweat that had run into his eye away from his face. Kyuzo continued watching him, as he hit the post, a little faster and a little stronger each time. The boy's form was horrible, but it wasn't bad after only training with a bokken for two weeks. He had the strength to hold the 7 pound bokken for extended periods of time, and he certainly had the stamina to fight longer. The only things he lacked were the speed, accuracy, and the skill.

the last one would be the one he would need the most, if he was going to follow in his footsteps.

He heard a rustle in the leaves behind him, and he both of his blades, turning and slashing. He felt his swords go through some small object, and felt as it flew through the air, landing on Naruto's head while he was in mid strike. His bokken impacted against the post hard, and smashed itself apart.

Kyuzo only stared, as the beheaded squirrel lay on Naruto's head, its blood slowly dripping into the boy's hair. Kyuzo placed his swords back in their sheaths, as Naruto only stared at the blood slowly dripping down his face.

Kyuzo sighed, as the boy's eyes widened as he registered what the red stuff was. He slowly started hyperventilating, much to the annoyance of Kyuzo, though he didn't show it on the outside.

Narutok dropped the remains of the bokken, as his hands went up to clutch his chest. Kyuzo only sighed, watching as the boy's breathing got heavier and heavier. "You have to learn how to not fear blood, Naruto-teishi."

Naruto only nodded, as his eyes slowly closed, though he was still hyperventilating. He hated this, his fear of blood. It was no use to a samurai's apprentice. He calmed his breathing, ignoring the warm fluid dripping onto him. He imagined an image, of the special weapon that Kyuzo had found with him, four years ago. It was his focus point, what he always used when he needed to concentrate. There was just something about it that made him feel at peace. His hands left his chest, laying at a rest at his sides.

He was now in his meditative state, where he was aware of only what he wanted to be aware of, and where everything else was gone. Kyuzo had taught him this, though it still took him a couple of seconds to enter it, and with conscious thought. His master was able to do it instantly, and he didn't need to think of it. This state of mind was special, what separated the strong samurai from the weak.

He felt a tap on his shoulder, as he slowly opened his eyes, returning back to reality.

"Sumimasen, Kyuzo-shishou." Naruto said humbly, bowing low. Kyuzo only nodded, throwing away the squirrel he had picked from his apprentice's head off to the side.

"That's enough training for today." He told him, as he looked to the skies. "It will be night soon."

Naruto nodded, picking up the pieces of his bokken, and heading back to where they had set up camp, Kyuzo following him.

"You seem like it's getting easier for you to enter it." He commented, walking along at a brisk pace, overtaking Naruto's slow walk. The boy scrambled to catch up, walking at his master's side.

"Hai, Kyuzo-shishou. I've been practicing."

Kyuzo nodded, as they entered their camp.

Naruto sighed, as he dropped the broken bokken pieces, and surveyed the destruction around their camp. All their clothes were ripped and torn, their food supplies were gone. Scattered around the camp were the tents they used to camp in. Kyuzo was fine sleeping outside on the ground, but Naruto still hadn't adapted, hence the reason why they brought tents.

Kyuzo looked around, as Naruto went to clean their camp. "Leave it," Kyuzo told him suddenly, and Naruto turned to look at him. "There is a town nearby. We'll stop by there."

Naruto dropped the tent piece he was holding, a smile gracing his childish features. In his mind, he shouted a loud "Yosh!". The thought of actually visiting a town with actual people in it seemed like something great to his young mind.

They had never really been to a town with many people in it. The most there ever was in a single place was a family or two, as they had been traveling for quiet some time. this would be exciting for him.

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"Ne, Kyuzo-shishou?" Naruto asked the crimson clad man.

He grunted, showing he was listening.

"Which town are we going to?" The boy asked, anxiousness seeping into his voice despite his attempt to hold it in.

"Ryonzpaku." He answered, still walking at a brisk pace. The sun was going down, and they would soon be engulfed in the darkness, with only the moon and stars to illuminate their path. It was still an hour's walk to the town, and he wanted to make it there soon, before curfew.

"Ryonzpaku?" asked Naruto, sctraching his head. "I never heard of that place."

"It's no surprise." Kyuzo told him, "It's a medium sized town, with nothing special about it. It probably has over 1000 people living there, and with farmlands surrounding it."

They walked along the path faster, as Kyuzo upped the pace.

"Wow." was all Naruto could say, imagining the number of people there. Though Kyuzo had made the number seem like no big deal, Naruto was amazed by it. He could practically see the different faces and tastes of the people living there.

He smiled to himself, as the sun went down and the lights of the town loomed closer ahead.

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"What's that, Kyuzo-shishou?" Naruto asked curiously, pointing out a large building, which had two smaller looking ones inside.

Kyuzo looked over, glancing at it quickly before turning his head forward once more. "That's an onsen. (hot springs I think….) It's a place people can relax, and where everyone can go. It's separated, so perverts can't peek at each other."

"Perverts?" He questioned, rolling the word around his tongue. It sounded disgusting, like it was a horrible word. "What are those?"

"Not what, Naruto-teishi. It's who." Kyuzo spat out, something uncharacteristic for him. He almost always said things in a monotone, so as never to give anything away. Naruto had tried to mimic him, but he was just to curious. As such, Naruto was usually the talkative one of the two. "They're despicable people, who have no shame, or a sense of dignity. They are among the worst of the worst, an evil plague that must be eradicated."

Remembering the one part of the samurai code, Naruto spoke up, "It's a samurai's duty to rid stop such evils? Does that mean these 'perverts' also?"

Kyuzo only nodded, as they trotted ahead.

They passed by a shop, from which a sweet aroma came. People were walking in and out of the shop, talking and laughing.

As they passed, both Kyuzo's and Naruto's stomach's growled. They looked at each other, and Naruto had pleading eyes. Kyuzo looked inside his purse, to find some money.

They stood there for a moment, as Naruto watched Kyuzo dig into the purse, looking for any signs of their money. He flipped it upside down, and nothing came out. The older man shook his head, and Naruto's eyes started watering and his stomach started growling. Despite being mature for his age, he was still only a four year old boy.

He started crying loudly, attracting the attention of the people around them. They all stared at the two with pity, examining them.

The older man with blonde hair had two blades on his back, contained in a single sheath. He stood straight and with the grace of a samurai, though he was looking at the boy a little in disdain. The other one was a small boy, with blonde hair not unlike the man's. His hands were held to his face, as he cried into them.

The people walking by started throwing coins at them, feeling sorry for the duo. Kyuzo picked them up, counting them in shame.

"This isn't right," He muttered underneath his breath, staring as the people threw more coins at them. "Though I thank these people, this still isn't right. I'm supposed to be a samurai…"

"Stop crying, little one." A jolly voice said from behind Naruto, as the man put his hand on Naruto's head. Kyuzo immediately tensed, as he turned to face the man who had touched his apprentice.

He was dressed in simple villager's clothes, and had flaming red hair on his head. He was tanned, and looked strong. Hiding behind one of his legs was a little girl, probably no older than Naruto. She was dressed similarly to the man, and also had red hair, though hers was partially hidden beneath a hat like object. When she saw that Kyuzo had seen her, she gave a small "Epp!" and hid herself behind the man's leg immediately.

Kyuzo untensed, sensing no danger coming from this man. If he had to guess, the man was probably even trying to be helpful.

He patted Naruto's head, and smiled at the boy.

Naruto's sobs were reduced to hiccups, which then became nonexistent as he meditated for a moment.

The man laughed once more, looking at Naruto and then at Kyuzo. "Seems like you folks have money problems." He laughed again, as Naruto wiped his face and nodded, with Kyuzo doing the same. "That's fine; everyone has those exact same problems. Don't worry though. Just keep going, with the thought that tomorrow might be better."

He chuckled a little, before entering the shop, with the little girl hiding behind his leg. Kyuzo and Naruto watched the man go, as he entered the shop.

Kyuzo walked over to his apprentice, who was in the process of getting up. He watched the boy, as he held his stomach, which was growling even louder now.

"Sumimasen, Kyuzo-shishou." He said to his master, bowing in apology. "I didn't mean to lose control."

Kyuzo only shook off his apology, saying nothing and motioning to Naruto that he should follow him, as he walked into the ramen shop.

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They walked in, finding disaster.

The man who had given them advice previously was being held by the arms by two people, while another one was punching him repeatedly in the stomach. The little girl was crying and screaming, as she watched her father being beaten by the thugs. She could do nothing however, as she was being held back by a man with greasy hair, wearing a sneer on his face.

"This is what you get, Tanua-san. You defy Gato-sama, and this is what will happen!" shouted the thug punching the red haired man, whom they now knew as Tanua.

The other patrons of the shop were ignoring the confrontation, hoping the thugs wouldn't turn their sights on them.

A screamed erupted from Tanua's throat, as a fist went flying straight into his gut, the blood coming from his mouth landing with a splatter upon the floor. The little girl cried out, only to be shut up by the man holding her.

"This is a nice daughter you have here, Tanua-san." Smirked the thug, "It'd be a shame to have something bad happen to her." The girl he was holding winced in pain, as the man's grip on her tightened.

"No! Don't tou-" He shouted out, but was cut off when the thug slammed another fist into his gut.

Kyuzo shook his head, turning to his apprentice, who was only staring at the amount of blood on the floors. "Naruto-teishi." He called to him, trying to get him to concentrate. "Flow into your meditation. I will take care of this."

Naruto nodded absent mindedly, as Kyuzo walked forward standing in between Tanua and the thug who had been punching him.

"Oi, who the hell are you?" Asked the thug in front of Kyuzo, looking over the crimson clad man's shoulder. A white hilt was visible, a sure sign of a katana held in a sheath. His arms were held loosely at his sides, but his back was straight, the indication the man was well trained evident in his posture.

Kyuzo didn't reply, only waiting for the eventual outcome. He heard light footsteps behind him, and he leaned to his left, the fist flying over his shoulder. He drew the blade at his hip quickly, slashing off the fist. It fell to the floor, as the blood from the wrist of the man bled onto his clothes. There was an advantage of wearing red clothes.

He held the blade up, pointing it at the thug in front of him, who backed away a little fearfully. The thug who had approached Kyuzo was lying on the floor, holding his bleeding arm.

"Leave," was all Kyuzo said, not even needing to threaten him. His blade glinted in the light of the shop, as he pointed it at him.

"W-Why?" He questioned, staring Kyuzo then at his fallen comrade. "Why would you want to protect this man?"

Kyuzo turned back, looking at the beaten form of Tanua. Blood was dripping from his lip, and he looked a little out of it.

"It is the samurai's way." Kyuzo responded, "To help and protect those that cannot protect themselves, and to create opportunities to do so when they do not arise."

The thug backed off, running away. On his way out, he shouted to Kyuzo, "We'll come back for you one day, you damned blonde haired samurai! Gato will make you pay!" He exited the shop quickly, going off into the night.

Kyuzo watched him go, before turning back to the two thugs holding onto Tanua, each of them looking conflicted on what to do.

"Will you make the right decision?" He asked them, his blade now held at his side. Thw two thugs looked at each other, then at the man on the floor, and finally at Kyuzo. they nodded at each other, as Kyuzo's glare hardened. "I see."

The two thugs charged, and Kyuzo brought his blade up quickly.

He swung, laying out two quick slashes, one slicing straight through the head of one thug, the other ripping through the chest of the other. Both fell to the floor, dead.

Tanua dropped to the ground, where the little girl ran over to him, crying over his beaten body.

Naruto only watched in horror, as he saw his master slice the hand off one man, and then kill two other men like they were nothing to him. He didn't have enough time to enter his meditation mode, as he had wanted to see if he was strong enough now to handle it. Apparently, he wasn't.

He felt a burning coming from the pit of his stomach, overtaking his entire being. Then, something inside him snapped. The next thing he knew, he wasn't himself anymore.

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Kyuzo sheathed his blade, turning to face the man and his daughter.

"Are you okay?" He asked them, watching as the daughter helped the man off the floor, tears falling from her face.

She nodded, and the man shot a quick thumbs up at Kyuzo.

"We're fine, Samurai-sama. Thank you for rescuing me and my daughter." The man nudged his daughter in the side, stirring her from her crying state.

"A-Arigatogozaimasu." She said to Kyuzo, bowing her head in thanks.

Her father laughed, picking a hand up off the floor and rubbing his daughter's head. "Good girl, Tayuya-chan! Kaa-san would be proud of you."

The girl's smile beamed at receiving praise from her father.

"We were just having some money problems, because of that bastard, Gato. He demands money from everyone, but I think you've probably scared him off, Samurai-sama." Tanua smiled at him, and Kyuzo nodded. Without a word, he reached inside his coat and pulled out the purse. He took out nearly all of it, saving only a small amount. He walked forward, and placed it in front of Tanua, who was looking at Kyuzo in amazement.

"W-Why?" asked Tanua, who was staring down at the amount of money there. There was enough there to buy food for the next few weeks.

Kyuzo said, "It is a samurai's duty. We use our skills to help those who cannot help themselves. It is our path, our code that we must follow."

"Arigatogozaimasu." He quietly said, as Tayuya sobbed in his arms. He leaned over, picking up the small stack of money there.

Kyuzo nodded, and turned to his apprentice, who had said nothing during this.

Naruto was on the ground, clutching his stomach. His hair was growing longer and turning a hellish red color. His body was glowing red, and what looked like 4 tails were flowing behind him, whipping around wildly.

"Naruto-teishi?" Questioned Kyuzo, drawing his blades. He battle trained instincts were telling him to run, but his mind ordered him to stay. Naruto was doing something, and the end result would probably be no good.

Naruto's head snapped up at the mention of his name. Looking at his face only made Kyuzo grip both of his blades tighter.

His normally blue eyes were red, but instead of just being slitted downwards, they made something like a cross in each of his eyes. The whisker marks on his face were more defined now, and an extra pair of marks of added on each side of his cheeks. Two fangs slipped out from underneath his upper lip, his teeth bared straight at him.

His entire being screamed of something primal, something full of rage.

"Death." He growled, his voice becoming distorted and carrying a hidden malice. "You have set me free, mortal one. I thank you for that."

The boy snarled, whipping his head around. The red glow coming from the boy now filled the entire shop, dousing everything in a red light. "A pity though. The boy attempts to fight me."

He snarled once more, one of the red tails flowing behind him crashing into a table, crushing the ones sitting there. Blood seeped out from underneath their deceased corpses, among other things.

"Ha." The glowing figure snarled. "The boy doesn't wish to kill." He shook his head violently once more, flinging another of his tails and destroying another table, along with more people. He turned his head to Kyuzo, twisting the boy's face into an evil grin, all of his teeth showing. "He needs to be properly educated, eh, Kyuzo-shishou?" The boy told him mockingly.

He then held his arms to the sky, roaring into the night. The sound of his roar shook the ground, and everyone in the sop to be blown through the walls, landing everywhere on the street.

Some of the people were dead upon impact, while others were only injured.

Kyuzo struggled to his feet, clutching the blades at his sides. He heard insane cackling coming from the shop, which was alight with flame.

"HELLO WORLD! I'M BACK!" The beast that was once Naruto yelled, "IT'S TIME FOR YOU ALL TO DIE!"

The beast cackled insanely, and the red glow grew brighter. If not for Kyuzo's instincts, which told him to cover his eyes, he would have been blinded by the red light which flashed intensely for a moment.

When he deemed it safe to open them, he stared out across a burning town, and heard the mad cackles of Naruto. Bodies were littered across the ground, some burned to a crisp, with others lying moaning, as they died.

Naruto himself was nowhere to be seen, but the wake of destruction he was leaving was enough for Kyuzo to be able to follow him.

He spared one glance at the villager's around him, who would probably die soon.

"Gomen." He muttered to them, running past all the bodies to find Naruto.

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Images passed before his mind, the looks of the living, the dying, and the dead burning themselves deep into his thoughts. He hated this feeling, the feeling presented to him by the beast controlling him.

He remembered losing consciousness, and then he remembered hearing voices in his mind.

Then he had lost control.

It was as if something inside him had broken, revealing the beast within him.

He heard a mad cackle escape his lips, as he jumped into the air, his tails flowing majestically behind him. He felt himself propel himself downwards at an incredible speed, the wind rushing past his hair. Then he slammed into the ground.

A shockwave erupted, but all he felt were the wonderful, wonderful deaths of those he killed. Something inside him was doing this, but it wasn't the one making him feel this way.

He actually liked this feeling, and that was what made him sick.

It was the feeling of pain, the suffering of those around him. The despair of those he killed, and the fear of those he would kill. It was intoxicating, and his emotions were telling him to act, though his mind was telling him to not. The only thing keeping him on this path of destruction was the being inside him, twisting the orders he was sending his brain to do this.

He ran on all fours to a nearby house, a tail shooting past his shoulder and slamming into it. He felt his tail impale itself onto something soft, and then rip its way past bones. He pulled it back out, carrying along with it a small little boy. His hair was blonde, just like his, and was cut short and spiky. He had blue eyes, once more, much like his, but they were not slitted. The boy was almost exactly like Naruto, except for the fact the boy was now dead.

Naruto only stared at him for a single moment, his red eyes reverting back to blue, before they turned into their insane red once more. He gleefully shot another tail at the boy, this one impaling into his chest. He smiled insanely, and pulled both of his tails in different directions, one going up, the other going down. They ripped the boy's body in half, spraying the ground beneath with blood, guts, and bones.

He chuckled, bringing both parts of the boy's body back, and then flinging them forward, his tails leaving the boy's body. They crashed again the house he had taken the boy from, and heard screams coming from within.

He gave a full out laugh, the ground shaking every time he did so.

Then he felt it. Something was coming up behind him.

He threw himself to the side, his tails propelling him faster.

He heard swishing coming from the place he previously been standing at, and instinctively knew them as sword slices. Fast ones at that.

"So, Kyuzo-shishou. I see you've decided to join me." Naruto growled, as Kyuzo remained silent and only charged at him.

Naruto placed his tails down on the ground, and pushed downwards. He flew up, Kyuzo slashing the air where he had once been.

"I guess not." Naruto laughed, looking down at the town. Everything was burning, and screams could be heard everywhere. He grinned evilly to himself, savoring the destruction below him. While still in the air, he brought his head back. He opened his mouth, preparing for what was about to come, and the deaths it would cause. Then, he brought his head forward, roaring as a red beam of destruction sprang from his mouth, aimed at where Kyuzo was.

It destroyed buildings and the people inside them, as pure chakra laced through his attack, annihilating everything. The villagers inside them didn't even have time to scream, as the power raced through the night, condemning them to death.

He stopped his attack, still in a free fall towards the earth.

His grin spread wider, as he saw the fires burn through the village, engulfing everything.

"Gomen, Naruto-teishi." A voice said from behind him.

His eyes widened, as he flung his tails around, using the momentum to face Kyuzo. He was there, in the air, flying downwards with Naruto. He was like an eagle, gracefully poised with both arms held out, the blades ready for action.

"How?" He asked him, knowing that not many things could have survived his attack.

"There are few things that can break a true samurai's defense." Then he struck.

He angled himself towards Naruto, slashing at him from the left with the blade held in his left hand. It went soaring through the air to Naruto's left arm, but a tail of chakra came from behind Naruto and deflected his attack.

The blade in his right hand, could not be stopped. Kyuzo's arm thrust forward, slipping past Naruto's tails, and impaling itself into his right eye.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment, as Kyuzo and Naruto stayed that way. The blade was lodged in deep, nearly towards the end of Naruto's skull. He didn't feel the pain at that moment, however.

In his mind, the voice was screaming murder, as it gave complete control back to Naruto. It took a few moments for Naruto to register the pain, before his eyes widened.

Kyuzo saw this, and immediately felt guilty. Though he had just stabbed his apprentice to stop him, it was still considered some sort of betrayal. A samurai did not betray was part of their code.

Naruto opened his mouth, and screamed. A red light crept from his body, covering Kyuzo's entire arm and the blade. Kyuzo grit his teeth, as the red light ripped through his arm, destroying it and his blade. It was then both of them hit the ground, each nearly dead.

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"It is my responsibility, Kyuzo-shishou." Naruto told his master quietly, but firmly. "They are lives I have taken."

Kyuzo nodded, wrapping the cloth tighter around the stump that used to be his right arm.

They had awoken, mere hours before, at dawn. The entire city was burnt down, and bodies of the dead lay spread across the streets. Most of the town had been burnt down, leaving only small, fire blackened buildings. There was a smell of burning flesh everywhere they went, and the smokes from the fires had yet to die out.

Naruto now had a cloth covering his left eye, where Kyuoz had stabbed his sword. The wound had healed quickly, but the eye was damaged. Naruto would never be able to see from there again.

He thought it was a worthy price, however. He had killed an entire town that night, and though he wasn't in control of himself, the deaths were still his. He felt obliged to have given an eye, for their lives. He would have taken his own, had Kyuzo not stopped him.

He stared out across the town, seeing the bodies of the slain and the houses of the dead.

For some reason, their blood taken from their deaths did not affect him. He knew now, the necessity of killing, and the consequences of what could happen when you killed without thought.

'This will never happen again.' He thought in his head, determination filling his mind. 'As long as I live, this will never happen.'

'_Don't lie to yourself boy,'_ The demonic voice whispered inside his head. _'You will kill more, and you will soon learn to enjoy it. You cannot deny the feeling of satisfaction that you gained from these helpless mortals deaths.' _

'You're right,' He told the voice strangely, much to its surprise. His voice then turned cold and dark. 'I will enjoy killing people like you, all in the path of the samurai.'

He then set off alone, the voice screaming inside his head, as he walked the path into town, to bury the dead.

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**So no questions are asked later, Naruto will be a little like Gaara in this fic. I mean about the not sleeping stuff and parts, not the pyscotic rage...**

**Chapter whatever just old us the Yondaime's real name… ****I guess all us fools who wrote the Yondaime's name wrong in our fics are screwed now… damn. **

**I'm not going to fix mine though. From now on though, I'll be writing his real name. Just so you know, that if you read any of my other fics and see the Fourth Hokage's name as something, then just change it in your head to make it his real name. **

**On another note, I'm putting this chapter up just because I felt like it. If you see any mistakes or anything, please tell me. I made this while I was distracted by something, so some parts of it might not make sense or anything. **

**As far as updates for anything else now, they might come a bit slow. School is starting soon, and I'm being kicked off the computer a lot now. I know I said I would be working on Imaginary Assassin next, but I'm still trying to make it better. **

**Till the next chapter, **

**Dokugin**

**Word Count: 5,294 **

**Page Count: 12**

**Time: No idea… **


	3. Hiraishin

**Chapter 3 for all your senses to take in… I guess. Just in case you didn't notice, I also put anonymous reviews on now. **

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Chapter 3: Hiraishin

Had the citizens of the city had been paying attention, they would have seen two would-be legends walking into their city, their destinies carried over their backs.

Rain poured from the heavens, soaking all of those unfortunate to be caught in its cold embrace. They ran, seeking to find shelter from the rain. The precipitation however, did nothing to affect the two men who had just entered the boundaries of the city.

One had short blonde hair streaked with red matted down on his face, the water causing it to stick to his face. Beneath his hair, he wore an eye patch over his right eye, and below, he had three whisker marks on each side of his face. His only visible eye was a blood red in color and slitted, not blinking even once. His mouth was stoic, as was the rest of his expressions. He was probably only four feet tall and not over seven years old, yet he walked with a strong and confident gait. He wore loose fitting pants, fitted to his waist by a white belt. Over his shoulders he wore a simple, white T-shirt, and carried a wooden bokken on his back, along with a big, heavy brown backpack.

His companion was probably a foot or two above him, and had the same color hair the younger one had. He too had the stoic look on his face, and walked with the same walk the short one had. On his back he had a white colored sheath, and a single katana was held in it. He wore blood red clothing, but he was more interesting than his companion. His entire right arm was metal, and he made no attempt to cover it up.

"Naruto-teishou," The older man said, "This is the place."

He gently tapped the boy on his arm, and the boy shook his head warily. His single eye reverted to an azure color, but retained its slit.

"Already?" He asked tiredly, reaching up with one of his hands and rubbing his eye, while blinking rapidly. If one knew him well enough, they would be able to tell even from his stoic demeanor that he was excited.

The older man just nodded his head, and they continued walking along.

They passed through nearly empty streets, as the rain and hail poured around them. Splattering the sidewalks and walkways, the rain was unrelenting. Few were on the street, opting instead to wait indoors for the sun to shine once more.

Walking, the older man suddenly turned down the corner of one street, going down an alley. Without missing a beat, Naruto followed his master, Kyuzo.

Ever since the "incident" three years ago, Kyuzo had changed. He drove Naruto harder and harder every day and Naruto just worked more and more. He advanced at a quick pace, and could probably take on 10 fully grown men with his sheer speed alone. He didn't have much in the strength department, but he had enough to make it by. He relied more on his speed and movements, just as his master did.

He was now in constant meditation, the only thing he could do to stop the voice in his head. He only let it down when he needed sleep, every few months or so. Even then, he had to walk while sleeping, so his body could at least think it was active.

The night after the incident, when Naruto was tired after burying bodies all day, he had fallen asleep. It was only by Kyuzo's timely intervention that he had not lost complete control.

Looking back to his master, Naruto thought more on him. He had gotten the metal arm attached several weeks after the "incident", and when Naruto tried to apologize for taking his arm, Kyuzo said that his punishment had been the death of the village. The crimson clad man had also refused to get another katana, saying that one would suit him fine. He trained alongside Naruto, working to get used to the metal arm that replaced his old arm. He also trained in hopes that he would be able to prevent another incident like Naruto losing control to happen again.

Naruto then turned his thoughts on himself. The voice inside his head whispered to him for many moths after the incident, until he had mastered his meditation. It talked sweetly of the carnage and destruction it would help Naruto bring, if only he accepted the power. If he hadn't mastered it, he would have gone insane.

He was brought out of his musings as Kyuzo stopped in front of a bar, where the sweet smell of bread and meat came floating through the rain and to their nostrils. From the very smell of it, they felt warmth rush through their bodies, and Naruto heard and felt his stomach growl. It was then he realized just how hungry he was. He looked expectedly at his master, who nodded in agreement.

After the incident, Kyuzo and Naruto had grown closer together. It was a near silent communication they could share, where one look convey a whole paragraph of words.

With Kyuzo leading, they walked into the bar. Sounds of hearty laughter reached their ears, and the sound of glasses clinking together. They soon stopped, however, when they entered the bar. It appeared as though unfamiliar faces were not welcome here.

Surveying the faces around the, the pair continued walking through the bar, shaking the moisture from their bodies. They sat down in front of the bar, Naruto's legs not even touching the floor of the bar. Soon, the laughter and noises came back, although more guarded and in less volume.

"What'll you have, sir?" asked the barkeep, wiping a dirty glass with a rag.

Kyuzo looked over the selections behind the barkeep quickly, before reaching a decision. "I'll have milk." He said simply, while the barkeep looked at him flabbergasted. He had probably been expecting Kyuzo to order something more manly than milk.

The barkeep shook his head in amazement, while turning around and getting a bottle of milk out from behind the counter. Kyuzo handed over a pair of coins, and the barkeep took them dutifully and stuffed them into his pocket.

"I'll take the sake." Naruto piped up, his young, high pitched voice reaching the barkeep's ears from behind the bar.

"What?" The barkeep cried incredulously, causing a few heads to turn in his direction. He looked embarrassed, before turning his attention back to Naruto and lowering his voice. "I can't serve alcohol to a little kid." He hissed out.

The young boy just waved it off. "I'll take anything you have up there." He said, "As long as it's not milk. I'm lactose and tolerant."

"It's 'lactose intolerant.'" Kyuzo corrected, sipping the milk from its bottle.

The barkeep shook his head again, "Look kid, I can't serve you alcohol here. I'll just go get you some warm tea." He left then, without waiting for Naruto's response.

"You're not lactose intolerant." Kyuzo noted quietly. "You were trying to get your hands on alcohol again."

Naruto colored in embarrassment, turning his face downwards. "Hai," He admitted.

Kyuzo just shook his head in disappointment. He had told Naruto time and time again he wouldn't be able to drink alcohol till he was at least ten years old.

"Here's your tea." The barkeep grumbled, walking over and placing the tea in front of Naruto before walking away to serve his other customers.

Both drank their respective drinks in silence, Naruto occasionally blowing on his to cool it. Soon, both were finished. They thanked the barkeep, before walking back out into the cold rain.

Silently and like wraiths they walked through the rain, so much so that those walking opposite their direction purposely moved to the side of the street to avoid going close to them. They turned through countless alleyways and dark passages, the rain beating upon their clothing and heads.

The rain slowly stopped, though the overcast skies remained. Still, the pair continued moving deeper and deeper into the city. The number of people on the streets lessened, and soon, no one stood in their path.

Night struck the city, yet the two were still walking, continuing on in their silent vigil. At last, Kyuzo stopped in front of a dark and run-down looking street.

Naruto looked expectedly at his master. On the outside, he was calm and blank, his expression honed by the years of practice he had gone through. Yet, on the inside, the mind of seven year old boy was still present. This boy wanted to stop and rest, and finally see the end of their journey.

"It's down this street." He softly said, before continuing at a brisk pace down the street.

Naruto let a small sigh escape his lips, before hurrying to catch up to his master.

While they were walking, Naruto felt a series of gazes fall upon them. He sensed them looking at them from the shadows, a variety of emotions able to be gathered from their stares. They were the gazes of the hungry, and the desperate. The stares of those who had nothing left to lose, and everything to gain.

"Master?" Naruto asked his master uncertainly.

Kyuzo nodded his head in response, before he continued walking.

Naruto, who had known his master for seven years, knew his mannerisms. He had seen the way his master's head had moved to the left and right while he had been nodding, a sign for Naruto to keep alert and ready for anything.

Both tensed slightly, Naruto more visibly than Kyuzo, as fifteen men surrounded them, holding a variety of weapons in front of their bodies in a threatening manner.

"'Ello, puppets." The man, whom they assumed to be the leader, said with a sneer. "We'll just be taking all yer valuables, along with anything else you might consider precious."

The others laughed wildly at his mockingly polite manner.

Naruto just turned to Kyuzo, who nodded. Naruto nodded in return, and reached slowly behind his back. The men around them tensed, as they saw his hands reaching towards the bokken on his back. They relaxed immediately after, as they saw the boy slip the backpack off his shoulders.

"That's a good boy," the leader of the men cooed, smiling mischievously.

They didn't know what hit them, as Naruto's hands shot back to the bokken on his back, pulling it out in one swift movement.

He ran forward, the wooden bokken held in one hand, his back curved in a slight arch. The first man didn't know what hit him, as he was lifted off his feet as the edge of Naruto's bokken slammed into his stomach.

Blood spilled from his mouth and the weapon in his hands clattered to the floor. The man who had been standing beside him was now forewarned, and the rest of the men closed in.

With a sloppy slice from a battle axe, the man missed, and Naruto pivoted on one foot, bringing the other into the man's sternum. He flew back, knocking down another man in the process. He launched himself into the air six feet, and twirled in the air, his feet shooting out and breaking the noses of two men caught in their paths. He landed gracefully on the ground, crouched down with the blade held to his waist in his right hand.

The rest of the men surrounding him looked weary, but one was foolhardy enough to attack. He rushed towards him in a straight line, the katana he held in his hands raised above his head. He slashed it down with all the force he could muster, but Naruto spun, one hand behind his back and the blade held in his right. With one swipe, the man found himself disarmed and the wooden bokken to his throat.

The man quaked in fear, and Naruto saw the rest coming. He pulled the bokken back, before bringing it sideways and into the neck of the man. He crumpled to the ground, and Naruto ducked low to avoid the swish of a dagger sailing above his head. He rose quickly, and hit a man right underneath the chin as he was coming. With an effort, he jumped into the air, flipping with his feet swinging out. They caught one person in the side of their head, bringing them down.

He leaned backwards, and an flying dagger soared over his chest. He went back up, and dodged to the left because of a sword strike coming at him. The bokken shot out, catching the wielder of the sword in his wrist. It broke underneath the force of the wood, and the sword dropped in his hand. Another blade coming, but Naruto brought his bokken up in time.

The dagger hit the edge of the bokken, quivering in place. From behind the cover of the bokken, he saw the man who was throwing daggers from one of the rooftops. He gave a rare smirk, and twirled, the bokken flying in a tornado around him. The men surrounding him were cautious, seeing the speed at which he was twirling and reminding themselves of their fallen comrades.

He stopped suddenly, the bokken stopping along with him. The dagger in the wood dislodged itself, and went soaring back to its thrower. It thudded into his chest, as he gave a mangled cry of pain. He fell from the rooftops, as the other men made up their minds. They each dropped their weapons and ran, hoping to get away from the one eyed boy.

Naruto gave the bokken a little flick, before securing it onto his back. He watched as the men ran, and he waited until they were out of sight. He turned back to his master, and saw that he had the rest of the twenty men surrounding him.

"Just give up," the leader snarled, "Yer outnumbered, so don't even try."

Kyuzo gave a small "H'n." in recognition, as the other men laughed.

"He's such a pretty little man too." One of them cried out. "It'd be such a shame to rough him up."

"Well, make sure you don't rough him up too badly then." replied another of the men. "That way, we all get a little entertainment later on."

They all laughed, and charged Kyuzo, weapons at the ready.

Naruto watched stoically from the sidelines, his arms across his chest. In realty, he was watching his master very carefully. This scene had happened once before, but it had been too quick for him to see. Perhaps now that he had better trained eyes, he would be able to see things better.

Kyuzo made a slight movement, as the men rushed him. Naruto registered the glint of steel and the silence of the men's battle cries. He held his arms calmly at his sides, as they dropped, blood spurting from their chests.

Gasps sounded around them, and the quick slam of shutters being closed reached their ears. It seemed they had a reason to be feared by the people of this street.

"Let's go, Naruto-teishou." Kyuzo said, walking up to the bag and kicking it into the air towards Naruto. Naruto caught the bag distractedly, as he walked alongside his master.

"Kyuzo-shishou." Naruto began, but Kyuzo cut him off.

"Last time, I was holding back, this time as well." Naruto stopped in his tracks, as he looked towards his master's moving form in wonder. "You'll be able to do this one day too."

Naruto looked down at his hands, and asked. "Really?"

"Not if you don't get your sword first." Kyuzo replied, and Naruto remembered their main mission to this city. He ran to catch up to his master, and succeeding in bumping into him, as he stopped outside of a store.

"We're here," He said quietly, pulling his blade out of his sheath. He held it aloft in his hands, and he ventured up to the door, sliding up to it with his back against one of the sides. "Be on your guard."

Naruto nodded his head, and he too, pulled out his weapon. He held it with both hands, and approached the door. Kyuzo gave him one look, and he gripped his blade tighter.

He stopped in front of the old, wooden door, and waited for the signal from his master. KYuzo nodded, and Naruto gave a battle cry, throwing himself at the door with all his might. He crashed against it, and broke it apart. His momentum pushed him through the broken doorway, and he stopped in the gloom of an old, moss ridden room.

"You're here." A gravely voice called behind him. Naruto spun around to meet the voice, bokken at the ready, and was met with a staff thrust to his chest.

"Don't turn around to meet me, boy." The voice said again, as Kyuzo stepped through the doorway, resheathing his blade and shaking his head slightly in disappointment. "I thought you would have taught him to do better, Kyuzo-dono."

"Gomen, Kensai-dono." Kyuzo said, walking to where the voice was coming from and bowing. "I too, thought I taught him better."

From the darkness stepped a short, old man. His graying hair was placed haphazardly around his face, and a beard protruded from underneath his chin. In his back, he had a long, staff, nearly three times his size and twice the size of Naruto.

"So, this is your apprentice, eh Kyuzo-dono." The man whom Kyuzo had called Kensaid said, and Naruto felt his gaze analyzing him. He gave a small laugh of disbelief. "You should have taken a girl. They make better companions, and I think one could have easily taken down your apprentice over here."

Naruto felt the sting of the insult, but did not let his anger show.

"True, but he is still my apprentice."

The man gave another laugh of disbelief. "What ever happened to Kenji, or Nakamu?"

Naruto looked at his master, who shook his head. "They quit soon after they got their blades."

Kensai let out a snort. "Figures. Probably couldn't take it." Naruto felt a penetrating glare directed at him, and he shook off the urge to shiver. "I wonder, will you quit?"

"N-No." Naruto stuttered. "I-I'm v-very dedicated."

Kensai laughed, and Naruto colored in embarrassment. "We'll see, little boy. We'll see."

Kyuzo chose the time now to cut in. "This will be your master for however long it takes you to craft your own sword. He will be teaching you the art of blacksmithing, and the honor you must always uphold while that sword hangs by you. We will be staying in this house until you can craft your own sword, and we will both be training you. I expect you to work harder than you have ever worked before."

"It'll be a pleasure working with you," Kensai sneered, and Naruto had to hold back the gulp that was about to come out.

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**Six Months Later**

Naruto fell to the ground, exhausted. His concentration slipped for just a moment, but it was enough for the demon inside his mind to let out a few, loud howls. His arms shot towards his head, and wrapped around his ears. He squeezed his eyes shut, and grit his teeth, trying to get the noise out of his mind. It slowly subsided, and he got up off the floor, letting the gloomy light coming from the closed shutter guide his path.

His face went blank, but his mind continued moving. He continued down the hallway of the second floor, ending up in front of his room. Opening the door, he went inside. A scroll was laid bare across his desk, and a handful of three pronged kunai were there.

A small smile appeared on his face, remembering their soon-to-be new purpose.

Today, Kensai had decided he was ready. After six months of learning the blacksmith's trade, he felt he was able to smith his own sword. And he knew just what he would use as well.

He walked towards his desk, picking up one of the kuani. He twirled it in his hand, watching the yellow at the handle glint with the light.

It was nearly five months ago he had decided to use the Hiraishin metal, and therefore make his own Hiraishin weapon. He didn't know how it might turn out, which was why he was studying all he could from the scroll that came with the kunai.

He didn't know who the kunai came from, or who made them. All he knew was that Kyuzo found the box with him, and that there was a note on the box telling him that it belonged to Naruto. Inside the box had been scrolls on design and usage. It told Naruto of chakra, and how it could be manipulated.

Apparently, chakra was just like cells. Everything was made of them, and they could easily be depleted, only to be recharged with rest.

He threw the kunai into the air, and caught it by the handle.

He sighed, and packed it all away, leaving the scrolls outside the box. He carried it downstairs, much to Kensai's confusion.

"What's in the box, brat?" He asked, looking at the wooden box in disdain.

"The metal I'll be using to forge my blade." Naruto said casually. Kensai gave a snort of disbelief.

"Hope you know what you're doing kid." He then walked away. It was custom to leave the one who was forging the blade alone until they were done. Naruto turned and nodded to Kyuzo, who nodded to him in return. The crimson clad man then left, leaving Naruto alone to his work.

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It was nearly a day before he finished. He exited the house smiling. His blade, a Chinese straight sword, was nearly three feet in length. It had a strange, yellow hilt, and at the end, there was a small ring, from which a tag hung from. He looped the sheath around his back, where it would not hang and drag on the ground. Maybe later, when he grew taller, he would be able to wear it at his waist.

Kensai's head immediately shot up when Naruto walked out, and he went over to examine the blade. He looked it over once, before snorting.

"Would've thought that you'd make a katana." He said. Naruto gave him a look, then set his vision towards Kyuzo. Beside him were bags upon bags of supplies. With just one look at these bags, Naruto knew they were leaving that very minute.

"Thank you for everything, Kensai-sama." Naruto said, before bowing. Then he ran to where Kyuzo was, and picked up some bags. "May we met again some day." They both left, and Kensai watched as they walked into the distance.

"I hope not." Kensai muttered. "You learn too fast. It took Kyuzo-dono nearly two years to learn how to make his blade."

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"'Ello puppets." The man in front of them said, waving a dagger around in front of him menacingly.

Kyuzo and Naruto shared a look, a feeling of déjà vu coming over them.

"Just hand over all yer valua-," He could not finish his sentence anymore, as Naruto's knee slammed into his gut. He keeled over, the dagger falling to the ground uselessly.

The rest of his men stood in shock, before registering the fact that their leader was down. Each moved their chosen weapon threateningly, before Kyuzo said, "Try out your blade now, Naruto-teishou."

Naruto looked over once at Kyuzo and nodded, a small smile on his lips. He didn't think it would be so soon he would be able to bring it out on a test run.

He dropped the bags, and gripped the hilt of his sword. He felt something hot run through his fingers, and in reaction, he pulled his hand back quickly. His hand was slightly smoking, and the electric tingles were still running through it.

Kyuzo took note of this odd behavior, and sent a somewhat worried glance at his young apprentice.

Naruto nodded his head in understanding. This must've been the chakra the scroll had been talking about.

"_**It's powerful, isn't it?"**_ The voice whispered in his mind, echoing through the confines of his brain. His eyes widened in shock, as the men came rushing at him, not waiting for him to draw his blade. He was cut out of his reverie, as he dodged a wooden staff being slammed into the ground beside him. He rolled to the side, his hand going back up to the blade and gripping it. Once more, the hot and electric sensation came back, and the voice said, _**"All you have to do is use my power, and,-"**_

Naruto let go of the blade quickly, not before hearing the voice in his mind growl. He brought his arms up in an X position above him and grit his teeth, as the wooden staff slammed into it. The man followed up by bringing the staff back, and then thrusting it forward in an attempt to hit Naruto. He curved his body, narrowly avoid the staff, and brought his elbow up. In one swift movement, he broke the staff, his elbow sailing right through it.

The man with the broken staff still charged, hoping to use his size to overwhelm him. He barreled into Naruto, his body sending him flying. He landed roughly on his side, and saw Kyuzo fighting with someone in front of him.

"Stop playing around and use your sword." Kyuzo said, slightly annoyed. Naruto knew that Kyuzo could get annoyed a small bit, but he never expected him to get to slightly annoyed.

"Hai, Kyuzo-shishou." With determination, Naruto stuck his hand back on the blade, bracing himself for the voice.

"_**Just keep your damn hand on the blade, you bastard." **_The voice growled in his mind, anger in its voice. _**"I can't do anything."**_

Naruto nodded, and finally revealed his blade.

At three foot long, it was around three fourths his size. At the end was a small tag, with the kanji for Hirarishin there. The hilt was a mixture of black and yellow, in a repeated pattern. The straight sword ended at a sharp tip, and was sharp the whole way around. The blade itself was a little thin, but despite its thinness, it still had its strength. The reason why it had taken Naruto a day to forge his blade was because the metal he was working with was very hard, and difficult to bend. That's how he knew this blade would be good for him.

"_**Good boy, now SLAUGHTER THEM ALL!" **_screamed the demonic voice, and he winced in pain. He fell to the floor, clutching his head. A man came running up to him, intent on hitting him while he was down, but was killed in an instant as Kyuzo's blade came through and sliced through him.

"Are you okay?" Kyuzo asked calmly, staring at the remaining ten men surrounding them.

Naruto just nodded, and picked held the blade up in front of him.

"_**KILL THEM ALL! REND THE FLESH FROM THEIR BONES!" **_the voice cackled insanely.

He did his best to ignore the voice, but could not keep the wince off his face. His head was starting to hurt, and soon, he would lose it. He'd have to test it quickly.

Positioning the blade in front of him, he ran towards the men, past Kyuzo. He held it forward in one hand, and slashed at one man.

The man was fast, and brought his blade up, both blades crashing in a shower of sparks. He brought the blade back, before thrust it forward. In his vision, he saw a small yellow flash before his blade hit nothing.

The rest of the onlookers were shocked, and the rest of the men ran away, as Naruto's blade cut off the man's, the clunking sound of metal hitting bone then breaking through it enough to give them cause to run.

Kyuzo himself was amazed. He had never seen anything like it. The man had blocked Naruto's blade, but Naruto had somehow traveled along his blade, near instantaneously, in a yellow flash.

Naruto gave a small flick with his sword, getting the blood off, before hurriedly sheathing it.

"What was that?" Kyuzo asked when he walked over.

"Hiraishin." Naruto answered with a weary grin.

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**Any questions or inconsistencies with the fic, then let me know. I've been swamped with crap for the last couple of days, but I feel as though I've got a solid schedule going. I'll do my best to write the next chapter of Hunter in the Night, which may surprise many of you, and then I have the rough outline for Zero Pressure, which may also surprise many of you. **

**So, in all in all, its going pretty crappily. **

**Dokugin**

**Word Count: 4,850**

**Page Count: 10**

**Time: Too long…**

**Next Chapter: It's another timeskip, and this time, we get into the main storyline of Samurai 7. It happens with some differences. **


	4. Meetings

Sorry I haven't had time to update

**Wow… it's been awhile, hasn't it? Heh, summer break's here though, and I'm pretty much free thanks to the heat. So… yeah. Word of warning for this chapter: It's kinda short. I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things. It's been awhile.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

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**Chapter 4: Meetings**

"Kyuzo-dono, we will take care of the girl." Tessai said, walking behind Hyugo. Hyugo himself walked behind Kyuzo. To the right of Kyuzo was his apprentice, Naruto, and a bodyguard.

"Are you going to kill the samurai?" Hyugo asked Kyuzo, a small smile gracing his face.

Kyuzo said nothing and kept walking, Naruto trailing behind.

It had been 9 years since he had crafted his blade, and 4 years since Kyuzo had signed on to be the bodyguard of a high ranking merchant. Kyuzo had offered his services to the merchant in exchange for food and shelter for the both of them. They had always obeyed the merchant's orders until now.

Naruto stared at his master with his only visible eye, a questionable look evident.

"You've never gone after samurai before." Naruto said to him when they were out of earshot of the other group, "Why are you going after these ones?"

Kyuzo stopped to look at him, a somewhat playful expression in his eyes. It was gone in an instant, and he turned around and continued walking.

Naruto, however, had stopped and let out a weary sigh.

"Why am **I** going after them?"

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"How rude!" He heard the samurai say, "There is no way a person would accept such a job!"

The samurai turned on his heel and left, causing the other two to adopt crest-fallen looks on their faces. Suddenly, the one carrying a sword and blue hair tied into a ponytail looked around cautiously.

"Katsushiro-sama?" his companion asked.

The one named Katsushiro quickly put up a front and smiled at her. "It's nothing. I just felt like someone was watching us."

They continued walking, the woman's necklace pointing in them in the direction of several prospective samurai. From in the crowd behind them, Naruto waited and quietly watched.

Several times, the one named Katsushiro looked back as if he knew he was watching them. Then again, he made no attempt to hide it.

They hustled through the crowd, and Naruto trailed behind them. Eventually, it seemed like they decided to give up. They set a definite direction and walked there at a fast gait. They stopped in front of a large set of stairs where a man with graying hair and a graying goatee stood.

"Kambei-sama." He heard the girl whisper, his acute senses picking it up. He walked to the top of the stairs and watched as the two ran down them.

"Sensei," Katsushiro began when they had stopped in front of Kambei, "We couldn't find any samurai…"

"Wait," the old man interrupted, holding a hand up a hand to interrupt the boy, "Are you a samurai?"

Naruto let a little smile at his teacher having been spotted so easily. Out he stepped from where he hid, his blood red coat flapping around him as he walked. He leveled a stern gaze at the group below. Then he nodded his head once.

"So, someone was indeed following us." Katsushiro noted.

"And you," said Kambei, turning to face Naruto, "Are you a samurai also?"

Katsushiro and the woman's eyes turned to face him. Dressed in a dark grey coat like his master with an eye patch going over his right eye, he must have made quite the figure. It would only have been accentuated by the red blonde hair on his head, tied into a ponytail at the back and his only eye which was lined with black underneath, a sign of a lack of sleep.

Naruto smiled, his elongated canines sticking out of his teeth. His right hand went to his wasit, where two hilts were strapped. He grabbed the top one, his katana, and jumped. He went sailing through the air, landing in front of Kambei. He drew his katana and made a horizontal slash at Kambei, who blocked it by only drawing his katana halfway out of its hilt.

"I'm no samurai yet." He told him, before jumping back and holding the katana in front of him.

Kambei withdrew his own katana, and they circled each other.

The other three watched in silence, two of them staring curiously at the unknown attacker.

Each of them waited in silence, analyzing each other for any signs of weakness.

"I am Shimada Kambei. Who are you?"

"Uzumaki Naruto." He replied in turn, before deciding to make the first move. He dashed forward, a wave of dust traveling behind him. He jumped before he got to Kambei, the sword in front of him. Dropping down, he attacked Kambei with a vertical slash. Kambei blocked it with his blade, and Naruto fell to the floor, Kambei struck out with a foot, but Naruto placed one hand underneath him and pushed, propelling himself through the air in a graceful spin.

He landed opposite Kambei and charged once more, ducking below a slash the older man made at his waist. Naruto quickly swung the blade skyward, nearly cutting Kambei in half. If not for his fast reflexes which had made him move out of the way, he would have been dead.

"You have skill." Kambei told him, watching as the boy circled around him cautiously.

This boy held the weapons of a samurai. He held the posture of a samurai. Hell, he even wielded that blade of his with the precision and skill of a samurai. Yet, he was no samurai. This had Kambei confused. Though he was getting on in his years, he knew he could be more than a match for some of the best fighters in this world. But still, this boy, someone he hadn't even heard of before, was able to fight on even ground with him. He was so young as well, yet his skills were almost equal with his. Almost.

He whipped his blade, bringing it before him and pushing the younger man away. Kambei watched as he slid back a few feet, dust sweeping up behind him.

Naruto grinned slightly, seeing the look the older man had on his face. He was so obviously confused by his skill. It was natural. He looked young, but he was good. As his master had always taught him, the mental battle one fought between two opponents is one you must always win.

"Don't worry, oiji-san. My master over there is even better than I." He said, trying to disturb the man even more.

Kambei looked over to the crimson clothed man standing at the top of the stairs who was watching quietly. His eyes were cold and emotionless, betraying nothing to the senses. He held himself high, yet not so arrogantly, so as to appear like a man whom you should respect. From the very way he held himself, Kambei could sense this man was a samurai.

His thoughts were quickly brought to the battle before him, as Naruto rushed towards him, swinging in an expert stroke downwards. Kambei brought his blade up and defended against the strike, avoiding the swipe that followed. He swung with his blade once, one straight thrust towards the boy's middle.

Naruto dodged and struck out with his own blade, impacting against the older man's sword when he tried to block.

They continued like this for a few minutes, exchanging slashes and strikes, a crescendo of metallic clangs sounding through the air as the blades met. The onlookers, disregarding Kyuzo, watched in amazement, and from one, even a hint of jealousy.

'_He doesn't even look as old as me, yet he's able to take Kambei-sensei on even grounds.' _

More clashes sounded, before the two eventually pulled away. Naruto was panting a little, with a new sheen of sweat on his forehead. Kambei looked as if he had just run a small distance, as he was breathing a little faster than normal.

"So, it seems that you can't pace yourself." Kambei told him, to which Naruto looked annoyed at. Kyuzo only nodded his head in agreement.

"Shut up, ojji-san." responded Naruto, rushing in and slashing with his swords. Kambei jumped into the air and saw Naruto ran under him. Then he felt his chin explode skyward as Naruto shot his foot upwards, nailing him. He flipped into the air and landed lithely on his feet, standing on a precipice a few feet away. Kambei rubbed his chin thoughtfully and Naruto shot him a fox-like grin.

"Naruto-teishou." Kyuzo spoke suddenly. Naruto pouted for a moment, before he schooled his face into a mask of stone. Then he sheathed his sword and walked away, leaving Kambei smiling and two confused young people.

"Sensei?" Katsushiro asked. "Why did you stop?"

As he waited for an answer, Kambei continued smiling. Finally, he sheathed his sword and motioned for the two to follow him.

"We can tell the others to stop searching. We've found our samurai."

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**Wow… it really has been awhile. But, I guess you could say I'm back. Heh. **

**Dokugin**

**Word Count: 1,561 **

**Page Count: 4…**

**Time: Do you really need to know? **

**Next Chapter: A fight between bandits and the joining. Action packed! Well… probably. I'm hoping it will be. **


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